Discussion of "animated" vs "using your real self"

[urbanlamb]

I am probably going to regret this thread but I keep reading wierd crap about "you used animation its silly and the subject matter is serious" etc etc or "you should use your real self because your hiding behind some avatar" or whatever

for the record actually I have never had anyone say this to me but they are random comments I read all over the place.

Well to be honest cgi and animation in general are growing in popularity for a few reasons
with one of the largest areas being education
Education you say? omg how so?

animation and cgi in general can turn a boring lecture where people just passively sit and take notes madly (that was me .. I had a laptop when laptops were not the in thing and typed 128 words per minute the lectures I found meant nothing to me and taking notes by hand left me with huge holes so I would enter the lecture theatre take my laptop out and type 128 words per minute so that I could go home and print it out and actually learn it.... )

Here is one example I came across recently but there are a few others that I have come across. The vermont dmv now uses cgi (they chose second life because it was cheaper then maya and easier to implement) online classes instead of text in books to teach their basic driving. The result is a huge increase in passing scores and higher scores becaues they took a boring serious subject and turned it into an interactive series of labs. The person learning no longer plays passive lump spunge they now take part in the learning and as a result retain more and are better drivers.

http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2012/05/second-life-machinima-helps-vermonters-start-driving/

this is just one of the newest examples.

3D is in and is not any less relevant to the world we live in. Its not just for kids movies anymore.

 

[Michael]

So the main question is whether or not to use yourself in your videos or an animated version? I think thats what youre asking here. If it is then I think it all depends on what type of videos you are making, if youre into the whole 3D stuff and do 3D videos like tutorials etc then I think having a replacement for yourself will work fine, if you were doing vlogs on the otherhand I dont think it is very suiting unless of course you have a channel all about 3D stuff. With your own I think its fine, youre into the whole 3D animation stuff and people could expect that, for anyone else though I dont think they should unless its in some way related to what they do. Personally I wouldnt replace myself with an animation in any video unless it had a good purpose whether for comedy or to make it look cool or something like that.

 

[urbanlamb]

So the main question is whether or not to use yourself in your videos or an animated version? I think thats what youre asking here. If it is then I think it all depends on what type of videos you are making, if youre into the whole 3D stuff and do 3D videos like tutorials etc then I think having a replacement for yourself will work fine, if you were doing vlogs on the otherhand I dont think it is very suiting unless of course you have a channel all about 3D stuff. With your own I think its fine, youre into the whole 3D animation stuff and people could expect that, for anyone else though I dont think they should unless its in some way related to what they do. Personally I wouldnt replace myself with an animation in any video unless it had a good purpose whether for comedy or to make it look cool or something like that.

No its not even a question. Just a discussion prompted by comments I have read even on this forum about the subject hehe.
Its just simply not any less shall we say "legitimate" as a means of communicating ones thoughts. One is not better then the other basically is what I am saying. So if joe blow said "I want to make a video on safe sex should I use myself or animated things" and then he decides to use animated things of some sort lol depending on budget and skill and talent base. His finished product should not be looked on as inferior or any less valid because he chose to take that route I guess that is what I am saying hehe.

Oh as a note of interest marlene pixel was originally created for vlogging and commentaries. It should not make my vlogs any less relevant because I decided to use her.

 

[Michael]

I agree with that but I think its more relevant and suited for you to get your message across using animation than say myself after all you are into that sort of stuff and your audience probably is too, they would probably see it as being cool etc, if I was to use animation I dont think it would be taken as seriously as without the animation.

For a video on safe sex I think the animation can add a fun element to it and make people more relaxed watching it over a person demonstrating things, plus it would be more suitable for younger people to watch since it wouldn't be the real thing. I have mixed thoughts on this subject, I dont think people should frown upon those who use animation instead of being in person, its ultimately their own choice of how to get their message across and I believe its success is dependent on a number of things and not just this choice alone. Things can go wrong whichever you choose to do, its the execution, the quality, the content, the presentation etc

 

[urbanlamb]

Things can go wrong whichever you choose to do, its the execution, the quality, the content, the presentation etc

Yes this to me is what it boils down to. I can do a bad job no matter which methods I use haha. Granted most of us using animation are not able to use things like mocap studios etc due to well the fact that is very expensive but I kind of equate that to when you doing a rl video and can't use the best equipment available because well its just too expensive.

 

[Michael]

Yeah you could say that, I think it is best choosing what is right for your viewers in the end, with your channel animation could be used all the time if you wanted, your viewers would like that but I think on YTtalkTV people would probably prefer to see people, if I choose to do every single YTtalkTV video in 3D animation and made sure all the presenters did too it wouldnt really be what the channels target audience would expect and it could put them off.